Youth rifles

[Brnsvllyjohn]

Not sure if this is the correct forum but here is how I selected my son's first deer rifle. I wanted a 280 for a variety of reasons. Finding a 280 on the gun rack in a store is tough. I had time since I owned some youth appropriate calibers that he could use. 6mm and 7 mm-08. He was a big kid and he had experience with my 30-06 as well as my 7 mag. I frequented a local gun shop a lot and always checked the used gun rack. There was a custom 30-06 built on a Ruger 77 action that was light as a feather and really cool but it was over $1500. Shilon barrel, Timney trigger and Brown Precision stock. You do the math. Probably over $2000 invested. I knew the owner of the store reasonably well and he commented on the gun whenever I would look at it. 6 months later the gun is still on the rack but the price is dropping. He asked me why I didn't just buy it? It wasn't a 280 and it was too much money for a 12 year olds first gun. The gun was on consignment and the owner wanted it gone. He had it built but didn't like the finished product. It also had a fixed 4 power Leupold. I told the owner the gun obviously wouldn't shoot or else the guy would keep it. He offered to refund my money if the gun did not shoot less than 1 MOA. How could I go wrong? I would have to eat the state fees and taxes if I returned the gun but I would get 90% of my money back. I paid less than $700 for the gun. I took the gun to a private range and scared myself with the first couple of shots since the trigger was set at about 1/2 pound. I then proceeded to shoot a few 3 shot cloverleaf groups with factory ammo at 100 yards. I took the gun back to the store and he set the trigger to 3 pounds. That is still probably the most accurate hunting rifle in the family. I do not think my son has taken a big game animal with any other rifle to this day and he is 40 years old. That is how a 12 year old starts out shooting a 30-06.
The stock has been repainted and the scope was changed to a 3x9 Leopold years ago but it is still the same gun. Best gun deal I ever made and my son has almost no interest in shooting anything else. He does have other rifles now but the 06 is what he carries.

 

[OPAH]

Great story John. my son loves to eat the meat but not into the work of hunting. Now my Grandson is a totally different animal, he loves the hunt and the scouting, tracking and climbing. Looking good for this year being his first deer !

 

[Smithb9841]

Great story. That’s weird that you say that it’s the most accurate rifle in your family I have a .243 passed down from
my grandpa when he passed that was a ruger 77 and it too is the most accurate gun I own! It is also the most fun to shoot in my opinion and just about everyone else that shoots it. I can’t put my finger on it but there is just something about that gun that just comes up so easy and shoulders perfect every time. Even though it’s a small caliber I still tend to use it when I’m hunting lower elevation where most shots aren’t over 150 yards.